


Golden

by Etoile_Filante



Category: RWBY
Genre: Chap12? Idk her, Established Relationship, Fix-It, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, They are not in Atlas anymore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22484518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etoile_Filante/pseuds/Etoile_Filante
Summary: A Huntsman on the run has a nightmare about his fight with Tyrian and how things almost turned out. Thankfully, his boyfriend is here to offer words of reassurance and cuddles. A lot of cuddles.A.k.a I'm fixing chapter 12 as I still refuse to acknowledge it.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 121





	Golden

**Author's Note:**

> Yup. Still not over it. Probably never will be. I've read quite a few "Qrow has nightmares about the fight" and that's all very valid. But I wanted to try something else!  
> Please keep in mind that English is not my mother-tongue. I hope you enjoy!

_Tyrian had run away and Qrow and Clover were left alone, in the snowy tundra. Soon enough, Qrow would be the last man standing as they both knew deep down that Clover wouldn’t make it. Lying in the snow, his body colder than ever but strangely warm in the middle, he knew he wouldn’t live to see another sunrise. Qrow fell next to him in the snow, took his hand and promised to his dying lover that Ironwood would take the fall. Clover was too exhausted to offer a sarcastic comment, but he couldn’t die without offering the man he loved his last words. A lot of things went through his mind. I love you. I’m sorry. I trust you. It’ll be okay. Please don’t let go. You’ll be okay. Please don’t forget me. I don’t want to die. I love you  
Instead, he looked into those red eyes he loved so much and just said,_

_“Good luck.”_

_And he let go._

_Qrow’s eyes widened as he tried to proceed what just happened. Clover was dead. No, Clover was murdered. With Harbinger. His mind went back to his teaching days at Signal, drilling into young minds that “weapons are an extension of ourselves, they are a part of us.” And now Harbinger killed Clover. Qrow killed Clover. Before he could understand what was happening to him, his lungs stopped providing him with air and he found himself gasping, trying to breathe with tears running down his face.  
And then he just screamed._

Clover woke up screaming, as to echo the scream he had heard in his sleep. Frantic, he tried to reach for Kingfisher, which he usually kept by his bed, but his hand grasped air and his missing weapon only added to his panic. Vaguely, he heard a voice call out his name once, then twice. Then a soft hand came to rest on his. Slowly, trying to bring back his breathing to a normal pattern, he turned around and was faced with Qrow Branwen. Beautiful, amazing Qrow with his hair sticking in all directions from sleeping and wearing a green shirt that was too big for him. He looked fine but his face was formed in an expression of pain and sadness that Clover hated. Once he got past the Huntsman’s walls, he had discovered a new sun in the form of his smile, much warmer and way more important to him than some star in the sky. He had made it his goal to make Qrow smile every day and he hated how, at this very moment, he was causing the man distress. Once Clover was calm enough to breath normally, Qrow put a soft hand on his face and stroked his cheek with his thumb.

“Are you okay, Lucky Charm?”

“I-I am. Sorry, you can go back to sleep.” answered Clover, forcing a smile on his face. He didn’t really feel okay, but he didn’t want Qrow to worry. However, this plan backfired when Qrow looked even more pained after hearing his lover’s word, retracting his hand from his face.

“I thought we were better than this Clover, **you** taught me to be better than this. If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. But don’t lie to me, please.”

Sitting on the bed in silence, Clover knew he had to say something. Ever since they met, he had fought to break down Qrow’s walls, to get him to accept compliments and to communicate. But Clover didn’t realize he could benefit from that last advice himself; as a military man, he was used to keeping a smile on his face to reassure the people that everything was fine. Every problem and every tear were meant to be personal, to himself only. But not anymore.

“You’re right.” he said, laying back on his pillows. “You’re right. I had another nightmare.”

“Another?” frowned Qrow, laying next to him, propped up on his elbow so he could examine Clover’s face. “Have you been having nightmares? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Clover kept silence, scratching his own arm. After Ironwood’s decision to declare Martial Law, he had chosen to fight by Qrow’s side and that led him to leaving Atlas with him and the kids. His trust in Ironwood had been broken and even if he had tried to stay, he was considered a traitor in the eyes of the military. Now in Vacuo, they were all staying in a small house the Schnee family was renting and the atmosphere was peaceful and warm, nothing like what Clover was used to, back in the cold and mechanical Atlas. But their fight with Tyrian was still haunting him. It had been a very close call for him. Right before Tyrian could push Harbinger all the way through his chest, he had tripped. They still didn’t know whether it had been Clover’s Semblance or Qrow’s Semblance working for them but neither of them cared. They had knocked him out and had waited for backup to make sure the Faunus wouldn’t escape again. When the Atlas airship came, they had to hide. But they made sure Tyrian was taken care of and Robyn was receiving the medical attention she needed. Then, by some miracle, they had found the kids (in a stolen airship which Clover didn’t really approve of) and had fled Atlas. They had spent a few nights flying to Vacuo and Clover’s sleep was constantly disturbed by nightmares. It was mostly “what-ifs” and he would calmly wake up before anything bad had happened.

Tonight though, things had been different.

“I don’t know. I usually wake up right before Tyrian can strike any of us but tonight I-… Qrow, I died. He didn’t trip and I was killed, and you were just _there_. And I wasn’t really me either, I was watching the scene and I saw myself die but I could _feel_ it. I saw you crying, and I saw Tyrian running away. Guess I’m wasn’t that much of a lucky charm huh?” Clover said, letting out a dry laugh and trying to pretend he couldn’t feel his eyes burning from holding back tears.

Without a word, Qrow moved his body so his head would rest on Clover’s shoulder, his arm around the Atlesian’s naked chest as Clover instantly wrapped his arms around him. From their first night together back in Atlas, they quickly had found that what they had to offer was what the other craved most. For Clover, the military man, it was knowing he was in control, knowing what he wanted to protect was right there; having Qrow in his arms made him feel grounded and reminded him of how lucky he was. For Qrow, the bad luck charm, it was feeling loved and warm after years of rejection from anyone but his family; being in Clover’s arms made him feel wanted and reminded him of how lucky he was.

“Clover,” started Qrow. “Meeting you was the best luck of my entire shitty life. Your nightmare was nothing but that, a nightmare. Tyrian is in custody in Atlas, the world’s most powerful military base and we both are fine and alive. Not a single scar on that annoyingly perfect body of yours.” he joked, tracing circles on his lover’s chest. 

“Oh, you think it’s perfect, huh?” teased Clover, running his fingers through Qrow’s hair and loving the way he melted into it. It was so endearing. People portrayed Qrow to be a loner and a dark omen when really, he just needed support and love. Spending all his life fighting against the world, against his own Semblance had resulted in a man always assuming the worst. Clover couldn’t fix the man’s past, but he wanted to give him a nice future to look forward to.

“Shut uuuuup.”

The silence fell again in their dark, comfortable room, but something was still bothering Clover. And of course, Qrow picked up on it.

“What’s the matter, Lucky Charm?”

That made Clover frown even more.

“What if one day, I stop being your Lucky Charm? I’m serious, Qrow!” he added, feeling the man sighing. “You always say your Semblance cannot be controlled and can affect anyone, well I’m the same! One day, someone ill-intended could benefit from mine and hurt you!”

Qrow seemed to think for a moment, and then he stood up. Without a word, Clover watched him going through his bag on the other side of the room. When he came back in bed, he had something in his hand. Repositioning himself next to Clover, he laid his open hand on the man’s chest and Clover jumped, feeling something cold on his skin. Looking down, he saw a necklace with a crooked cross-shaped pendant.

“It was a gift from Team STRQ, many many years ago.” said Qrow. “Taiyang’s idea. It was supposed to be a sort of joke, a good luck charm. It’s silly, I know.”

“It’s not.” smiled Clover. He would never get tired of seeing this side of Qrow, the man who just wanted to keep his family close and take care of them.

“I want you to have it.”

“Qrow, I can’t. This was a gift from your team, I can’t.”

“Please, take it. I am very much attached to it and I would hate to lose it. So, you can see it as I promise I will never let you go.”

Clover couldn’t find the right words to express the warmth that was spreading through his chest, so he just hugged Qrow closer and went back to stroking his hair.  
After a few minutes of silence, Clover could feel himself falling asleep again and he could tell Qrow was starting to doze off as well.

“Hey. How did the necklace work so far? As a lucky charm?” whispered Clover. 

“Well. It led me to you.”

Clover had always loved like he lived, like a military man. Quick, never resting, living every moment on the edge, knowing it could end all too soon. But now, with Qrow is in his arms, he felt warm. He felt calm, he felt like there was no rush and he could just stay here, basking in the warmth.

He once believed love would be burning red, but he had been wrong. Love is golden.

**Author's Note:**

> Did anyone catch the very obvious reference to a song from the last line? I've referenced it before in another fic. It's such a beautiful song and it should be the Fairgame anthem.  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
